Is Fantasmic! at Walt Disney World Too Scary For My Child?

Should I Take My Small Child To See Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Florida?

There’s a show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios called Fantasmic! and it is only offered a couple of times a week. It’s about 26 minutes long and is very popular – however, there is a fairly significant villain section in that lasts about 8 minutes and it includes a dragon. This article will give you all the information you need to decide whether or not the Fantasmic! show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is appropriate for your child. Fantasmic! is an impressive show and is generally suitable for older children and adults but it may not be appropriate for preschoolers, anyone who does not yet comprehend the difference between reality and make-believe, or to individuals who are prone to nightmares.

What Fantasmic! Is All About – A Brief Outline of the Plot of Fantasmic!  

Stylistically, Fantasmic! may remind you of Fantasia, Mickey’s Philharmagic (3-D attraction at the Magic Kingdom), or the Disney Silly Symphonies. There is very little dialogue and most of the action corresponds with the tone set by the musical score. There are live action sequences with characters from the Disney movies along with familiar images being projected on a screen of water mist. The storyline follows the classic Disney model of a fairly peaceful beginning, followed by a conflict with a villian, good overcoming evil, and a happy ending. In this case, Mickey is having a dream but his imagination runs away with him causing a montage of classic Disney villians come to intimidate Mickey – in the end, he announces “Hey, this is my dream!” and everything goes back to happiness and dancing princesses. Although the story itself is very simplistic, adults will be impressed with the elaborate affects and scene changes. Lightning, giant puppets, fountains, mist screens, flames, and pyrotechnics are impressively incorporated into this spectacular production.  

Things in Fantasmic That Might Frighten Small Children  

If you have any concerns about your child becoming frightened or upset by Fantasmic!, we highly recommend you take the 27 minutes necessary to watch the Fantasmic You Tube video we’ve embedded in this post. You know your child best so you will be able to evaluate the show and pick up on any less obvious elements that might frighten your child. The list below includes some of the things in the show that we think could be potentially frightening to preschoolers or timid souls.

1. Starting at about 7:19 minutes into the youtube video – or about 7 minutes into the show – you’ll notice that the tone of the music and the images starts to change in subtle ways. The whale from Pinocchio is projected onto a screen, there is a fight scene from the movie Pochahontas, and we start to see some elements of conflict introduced into the plot. Mickey, in the Sorcerer Mickeycostume,  gets caught into a typhoon and calls out “What’s Going On!?!”.
2. The most intense portion of Fantasmic begins at about 13:45 minutes into the You Tube video or about 13.5 minutes into the actual show. Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty) appears and threatens Mickey Mouse. Her image is always a bit frightening but we also see the images of other Disney villians like Ursula (Little Mermaid), Hades (Hercules), Jafar (Aladdin), Cruella (101 Dalmatians), & Scar (Lion King) morph from one to the next on a mist screen. The voice track during this portion is ominous. Later on, this segment also includes some wraith, ghost, dragon or demon figures set to the more intense portion of the soundtrack.
3. At one point, the entire lake catches fire, with actual flames (approximately 21 minutes into the show). People in the lower rows can actually feel the heat from these flames. Flames, in smaller amounts, are also used in other scenes. A comet-like ball flies through the air and causes a bright flash in the scene from Pocohontas. Flames and flashes are a part of Maleficent’s spell.
4. There is live action snake-like dragon with glowing eyes that appears and moves menacingly. This occurs between 16:30 – 17:35 minutes and at 20:43 – 22:45 minutes into the video and roughly around the same duration into the actual show. This dragon gets absolutely huge.

Ways to Help Your Child Watch Fantasmic Without Getting Scared  

Depending on the maturity of your child, the following tips may help your child enjoy Fantasmic and deal with the scary portions.

1. Tell your child the whole storyline or let them watch the You Tube video – knowing what to expect in advance can make the intense sections manageable. Don’t worry about spoiling the show; young kids love familiar things – think of how many times they’ve watched their favorite DVD.
2. Do you have a smart but sensitive older child? Consider arming them with good information and technical details.Tell them that the whole lake will catch on fire. Then explain that Disney uses a carefully measured amount of propane that will float on the water. Assure them that Disney has practiced this over and over so they know the exact amount of gas to use to burn the exact right amount of time. If they express concerns about accidents, tell them that the concrete steps and metal bleachers are not things that easily catch fire.Show your child the snake segment (16:30 – 17:35 minutes into the video) and talk about how it is regular humans that are carrying each segment of the snake. You can show them this You Tube Video of the Chinese Dragon Dance to show how it is done.
3. Give your child a “weapon” for self-defense. Some people may find this method objectionable but many, many years ago, my son was frightened by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. His grandma purchased a plastic sword from the gift shop and gave our son permission to fight off any pirates that attacked us on the ride. She carefully explained the difference between pirates and the other tourists in the boat. My son brandished his sword throughout the ride, managed to avoid whacking any of the other guests, and felt brave throughout the whole experience. If you don’t want to buy a sword, consider teaching your child a few good karate chopping motions accompanied by “Hi Yah!” type exclamations before going into the show. The ability to defend oneself goes a long way towards feeling confident in this world.
4. We’ve given you approximate show times for the most intense, potentially frightening portions. You may be able to distract your child with a snack or a toy. Failing that, you can always take them to the restroom beginning about 12 minutes into the show. If you plan to use this tip, try to sit at the edge of a row so you won’t be stepping over other people as you make your way to the aisle.
5. Always keep in mind the possibility that you may have to come to your child’s rescue by taking them out of the show, should it become too frightening. You have a choice here – you can react with irritation at the fact that you had to leave the show and you can belittle your child for being frightened. Or…(and this is what we recommend) you can be your child’s hero by protecting his/her precious heart and mind until she/he is older and better able to deal with these types of images. Keep smiling, assure your child that you didn’t mind leaving the show, and tell him/her about a time when you were a child and got frightened by a movie or a scary story. Let your child know that you’re on their side. Remember that you’re making memories – they can be memories of shame and frustration or this can be a situation where you child sees that they can trust you with their fears and with their feelings.

Tips for Seeing Fantasmic At Walt Disney World  

1. The entrance to the Fantasmic! Amphitheater is on Sunset Blvd., between the Beauty & the Beast Live! stage and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride.
2. Except during peak travel times, Fantasmic! is no longer offered every night of the week so check the Walt Disney World calendar of events before you go and plan to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park on a day when the show is offered.
3. Avoid any day where Disney’s Hollywood Studios has an “Extra Magic Hour” (special times reserved just for Disney resort hotel guests) and Fantasmic! The combination of these two things will make Disney’s Hollywood Studios disproportionately busy on days that offer both incentives.
4. Fantasmic Dinner Package – You reserve an early dining time (generally before 4:20PM) and you receive a voucher for a spot in a reserved section. This can save a lot of time you would otherwise spend in line. The three restaurants that participate in the Fantasmic Dinner Package are Hollywood & Vine (buffet), Mama Melrose (Italian), and the Hollywood Brown Derby. The Fantasmic Dinner Package reservation must be confirmed with a credit card and you will be charged a “no-show” penalty if you skip the reservation. There is a 48 hour cancellation policy.Are you on a Disney Dining Plan? The Fantasmic Dinner Packages at Hollywood & Vine and at Mama Melrose each only take one Disney Dining Plan table-service credit per person; the Hollywood Brown Derby is a Signature Dining Location and will require two table-service meal credits per person.There is very limited availability for the Fantasmic Dinner Package so reserve early (up to 180 days prior to arrival). You must specifically reserve a “Fantasmic Dinner Package” to receive these benefits. These restaurants will have regular reservations available that do nto include the Fantasmic seating vouchers.
5. You don’t have to have a Fantasmic Dinner Package to see the show. It is included as part of your admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. However, the show may fill to capacity. The gates open about 90 minutes prior to the show and, during busy seasons, it is essential to line up at least 70 minutes prior to showtime. It may be possible for one parent to hold a place in line while the other parent gets food at Catalina Eddie’s, Rosie’s All-American Cafe, or the Backlot Express to eat while you wait for the show to start. Combining mealtime with waiting time will reduce the sense that you are wasting time.
6. There isn’t any meal type food sold inside the amphitheatre but snacks like popcorn and sodas are available for sale. There are restrooms inside the theatre.
7. Are there two performances of Fantasmic! on the day you’re visiting? If so, the second performance will always be less crowded than the first. The other advantage to the second performance is that it gives you more time to enjoy Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park rides and attractions.
8. There are no bad seats but we think theseats just to the right or to the left of the center from the middle row of the amphitheatre back to the top row are the best seats. This show has a pretty wide scope so sitting too far forward can actually make it harder to take it all in.
9. The show is about 25 minutes long. Your showtime might be such that you have about an hour of park time after the show ends. If you hope to get in a few last rides after the show, consider sitting on the right side (as you face the stage) so that you’re closest to the exit when the show ends. Get up and leave promptly so that you don’t get stuck in a slow moving crowd.
10. Theme Park Touring Plans – Remember that you’re going to have a better time if you have a good touring plan.  It just so happens that we provide three great options for touring plans when you book your Walt Disney World Resort vacation through Build A Better Mouse Trip.

      Note:  Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park used to be called Disney-MGM Studios.

Thank you,

Stephen

Build A Better Mouse Trip
http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com/
Toll free: 877-815-6515

 

Walt Disney World with Small Children – Rider Switch Pass Information

 

 

Note:  The Rider Switch Pass is commonly referred to as Baby Swap / Parent Swap / Child Swap  passes,  etc.  

The Rider Switch Pass is important information for anyone traveling with children who will not be big enough – or brave enough – to ride certain attractions.   The rider swap pass allows adults traveling with small children or family members with special needs to efficiently trade places on any attraction with a height or age restriction.   You can always get a Rider Switch Pass when your child is too small for a height restricted attraction but some parents don’t realize that you can also use this service for timid riders – the child who is physically tall enough for a particular attraction but is frightened and doesn’t want to ride.  Parents of adult special needs children (Downs Syndrome, etc) can also use this service. Here’s how it works:

Standby Lines:  Both parents take the toddler or younger child to the standby entrance and ask the Cast Member (Disney employee) how Rider Switch works for this particular attraction.  In most cases, you will all have to go through the line together and, somewhere shortly before boarding the attraction, you will receive a pass that will let one parent exit with the non-rider while the rest of the party rides now.   In most cases, the waiting adult will be issued a Rider Switch Pass that allows him or her to ride the attraction at any point in the day using the FASTPASS entrance.  The Rider Switch Pass may have the number of eligible riders printed right on it.  If not, ask the Cast Member how many riders can ride using the Rider Switch Pass.   Disney knows that nobody likes to ride alone so at least two people can ride using one Rider Switch Pass.    Other attractions will let up to three or four people ride using one Rider Swap Pass.

FASTPASS Lines:  You use a similar method to get a Rider Switch Pass when using the Walt Disney World FASTPASS system.   In this instance, you present your FASTPASS ticket and the small child to the Cast Member at the FASTPASS entrance.  Ask for a Rider Switch Pass – the Cast Member may take the FASTPASS from the waiting adult and issue a Rider Switch  Pass in its place or they might just issue a Rider Swap Pass in addition to the FASTPASS ticket in hand.  If it isn’t already printed on the pass, ask how many people can accompany the Rider Swap Passholder.    Being able to have one or more people accompany you is why you get a Rider Swap Pass – the waiting adult would end up riding alone if you just waited and used the FASTPASS in hand.

 

Here’s how this looks with a more specific example – your baby is too small to ride Tower of Terror but your group has Tower of Terror FASTPASSes.  When you go to ride Tower of Terror, take the baby to the Disney Cast Member  at the FASTPASS entrance and present your FASTPASS tickets.  Tell the Cast Member that you need a Rider Switch Pass and ask how many people can ride using the one rider swap pass.  Three people can usually ride Tower of Terror using one Rider Switch Pass – the passholder and two extra friends/family members.    The Cast Member gives you the pass to the  adult who will wait with the baby while the others ride using their FASTPASS tickets.  When they’re done riding, the adult(s) who have already gone on the ride take the baby and then the adult who waited, along with two others,  can then enter using the Rider Swap Pass at the FASTPASS Entrance.

Why this is important:

1.) Just from a practical standpoint, you need to know the most efficient means of letting everyone ride height restricted, scary, or intense ride or attraction.

2.) More importantly (at least for the older kids in your party), the baby actually gives you a tactical advantage during peak travel times. Because the Rider Swap Pass lets up to 3 people accompany the passholder, this is the best way to ensure that the older kids get to ride the headliners / thrill rides twice.  This is a huge advantage and saves a lot of backtracking.  Be sure the older kids know that the toddler  is the reason they get to go twice – it should encourage sibling bonding. 

Important note:  Distributing actual Rider Switch Passes was implemented only a few years ago and there may be various adaptations or slight differences from attraction to attraction.  For example, the last time we used this on Space Mountain, the cast member asked how many return riders we had.  They then gave us that number of individual Rider Switch Passes, each good for only one rider. 

TIPS: 

• If you’d like to ride the attraction twice, be sure to get a Rider Switch Pass even if the waiting adult doesn’t want to ride the ride. 
• You do not have to use the passes immediately.  For example, if your group is at Epcot and needs to get through both Test Track and Mission Space using the Standby lines as soon as the park opens,  get the Test Track Rider Switch Pass and let the first group of riders ride using the standby line.  Then then move on to Mission Space and do the same.   Those riding using the Rider Switch Passes can do this after everyone else has gone through the standby lines when the lines are at their shortest.  Those not riding again can enjoy the activities in the Mission Space Training Area at the end of the ride – there’s even a play area there for the little one.   The two rides are fairly close together so the minimal backtracking shouldn’t be a problem.  This works 2-ride approach works well at Splash Mountain & Big Thunder Mountain in the Magic Kingdom, at Tower of Terror & Rock’N Roller Coaster in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and at Expedition Everest & Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme parks.

Walt Disney World Rider Switch / Baby Swap pass photo